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Canada's Foreign Minister John Baird (C) arrives at a news conference with Immigration Minister Chris Alexander in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa January 28, 2014. REUTERS/Chris Wattie

OTTAWA - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird officially welcomed Ukraine's new prime minister after arriving in the country's capital for talks about finding resolution and diffusing the violence there.

Baird is just one member of Harper's government who's been a vocal proponent of protesters in Ukraine.

Deadly demonstrations began in December after the Ukraine government rejected a trade deal with the European Union in favour of a bailout from Russia.

Baird arrived with a delegation that included Ukrainian-Canadians for meetings with the new government, opposition parties as well as non-governmental organizations and religious groups.

On Thursday, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, a protest leader, was appointed the country's new prime minister. Baird said the change represents a "fresh start."

"We look forward to the next steps in Ukraine's regeneration," Baird said in a statement. "Meaningful economic reform must be supported by the international community including through key international financial institutions."

After the House of Commons resumed for its winter session last month, parliamentarians decided to ban certain key members of the Ukrainian government from entry to Canada.

Opposition members called on the government to do more. Though high-level discussions with European authorities have ostensibly centred on freezing the assets of regime members whose money is in European banks, some opposition members want any assets in Canada to be frozen as well.

In response, Tory MP David Anderson congratulated Ukraine on its new government and assured that "Canada is ready to freeze the assets or restrain property of those responsible for the violence if and when the new Ukrainian authorities make such a request."

Yanukovich fled Ukraine last weekend and was reportedly spotted at a swanky Moscow resort. He issued a statement Thursday calling on Russia to protect him from "extremists."